Machine for sewing on buttons



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Patented Deo. 21, 1897.

WITNESSES:

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" J. J. SULLIVAN.

\ MACHINE POR SEWING 0N BUTTUNS.

N0. 596,o20 vIMemd Dec-.21,1891

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` J. J. SULLIVAN. l

MACHINE FOR SEWING 0N BUTTONS. No. 596,020. Patented'Deo. 21,1897.

no; scams Pnzns cajmdmuwo.. WASHINGTON n c UNrTnn STATES PATENT Ormea.,

JOHN SULLIVAN, OF IPSVVIOH, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR SEWING ON BUTTONS.

SPECIFICATION forming` part of Letters Patent No. 596,020, dated December 21, 1897. Application filed January 14, 1896. Renewed November 12, 1897. Serial No. 658,340. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.- A

Be it knownthat I, J oHN J. SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, residin gat Ipswich, in the county of Essex and State of' Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button SewingA Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a machine similar in many respects to the machine embraced by my application, Serial N o. 541,860, filed March 15, 1895, and in which machine the needle is periodically given a series or succession of horizontal movements, While the Work remains stationary, for the purpose of attaching each button to the work by a series of overseamingstitches formed by passing the needle through the eye of the button-shank and the work and through the Work outside of the said eye a1- ternately. In other words, the series of button attaching stitches for each button is formed by mechanism .which changes the relative horizontal positions of the needle and the Work at each stitch for a series of stitches, so that the needle will pass through and outside of the eye of the button-shank alternately. In the present machine, as in the machine embraced by my said application, the horizontal or overseaming movements of the needle are periodically suspended and an automatic work-feed (which is idle or inoperative while thel button attaching stitches are being formed) operates to advance the Work to the next button-sewing position; but this workfeed might, in either machine, be omitted and the Work be fed by the operator. In the' present machine the button-feeder, which transfers the buttons from the lower end of the button-chute to sewing position, is operated automatically, thus making the button-supplying and button-feeding mechanism entirely automatic.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a rear side elevation of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing part of the work-supporting arm, the lower part of the button-chute, and adjacent parts. Fig. 4. is a detail plan view of the cam-cylinder and feed-regulating devices. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the buttonfeeder and its shaft, and Fig. 6 a detail view of the presser-foot. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are detail views to show the button-guard.

A denotes the vstandard of the machineframe and from which standard extend for- Ward horizontally the integral overhangingl Varm'A' and the work-supporting arm or cylinder A2, these three parts constituting the frame of the machine, B is the driving-shaft, j ournaled in the frame and carrying at its for- Ward end a cylinder' b, having a cam-groove for operating the take-up lever b and a crankpin connected by ajlnk or pitman b2 with the needle-bar f. The stitch-forming and workfeeding mechanism of the machine herein shown is that of the well-known Singer oscillating-shuttle machine, the rocking-shuttle-operating shaft C being actuated from the crank c of the driving-shaft through the pitman c' .and rocker c2, as is common with machines of this class. 'Y

D is the feed-operating rock-shaft, having at its rear end an arm d, to which is jointed the lower end of the connecting-rod d', forked at its upper end to embrace the feed-cam d2 l on the shaft B. The rock-shaft D imparts the horizontal or feeding movements to the feed-dog at the forward end of said shaft, and the extent of such feeding movements o'r the entire suspension thereof depends on the relative positions of adjustment of the rod d, the link d3, andthe arm d4 of the feed-controller, said link being jointed at its upper end to said rod d and at its lower end to said arm, this being the Well-known Singer toggle-feed. The arm d4 is fast to the rear end of a short feed-controlling shaft d5, having at its forward end a second vrigid arm d, provided with an adjustable pin or roller-stud d7, extending into a slot in a lever d8, pivoted at Z9 to the machine-frame and havingvin turn at its free end a pin or roller-stud d10, extending into a cam-groove in the rear face of the cam-cylinder E, loosely mounted on the driving-shaft B and intermittingly rotated by a cam-actuated lever-dog e, engaging teeth e', formed on said cam-cylinder and operating as fully described in United States Patent No. 541,840, dated July 2, 1895.- The cam-groove in the cylinder E, into which the roller-stud carried by the lever d8 extends, `serves at the proper times to move the feedcontrolling shaft d5, so that the arm d4 thereof will be in such positions as to cause the feed to operate or to be entirely suspended, as in the machine described in my application hereinbefore mentioned.

The needle-bar f is reciprocated vertically in a horizontally-movable frame F, pivoted on center screws f and having a short horizontal arm f2, connected by the rod or link f3 with the free end of a horizontal lever f4, pivoted at f5 and provided between its ends with a pin or roller-stud entering a camgroove e? in the cam-cylinder E, said camgroove having a serpentine or acting portion part way around the said cylinder and a` straight or non-acting portion the rest of the distance around said cylinder, so that the needle-bar and needle will be moved horizontally to make a series of overseaming-stitches while the feed of the work is suspended and will then have its horizontal movements suspended to form a series of plain or successively-disposed stitches when the feed is operating, as in the machine described in my former application referred to, the cams controlling the feed and the horizontal movements of the needle-bar being relatively so arranged as to secure these results.

To vary the lengths of the plain stitches formed between the overseaming or buttonattaching stitches and thus vary the spacing of the buttons, the pin or stud d7 is adjustable in the slotted arm d of the shaft Z5 and in a slot in the lever CZ by means of the feedregulating screw d, so that the feed can be varied in a well-known manner.

Gis the button-hopper, from which the bu ttons pass down through the button-chute H to the needle, the lower end of said chute being adjacent to the work-plate or'throat-plate I, the button-shank slot h at the said lower end of said chute registering` with a slot 7U' in the presser-foot K. The driving-shaft B is provided with a worm h3, meshing' with a wormwheel g on the lower end of a vertical shaft g', extending up within the hopper G and carrying a series of brushes g2, which serve to force the buttons from said hopper into the chute I-I, said hopper having in its bottom a slot g3 for receiving the shan ks of the buttons and which slot communicates with the upper end of the slot lt of the button-chute, as in my prior machine. To insure a more perfect button-feeding operation of the brushes g2, I provide the bottom of the hopper with one or more brush-lifters g4, which may be either plates or wires and which have inclined parts up which the brushes will ride. Vhen in their operation the rotating brushes reach the rear ends of said lifters, they fall by their own resilience onto the buttons the Shanks of which are entered into the slot g3 and thereby hold them in the said slot, so that they cannot fail to be forced out of the button-exit of the hopper into the chute H so long as there is room for them in said chute, which will thus always be unfailingly supplied with buttons. A guard p in the hopper, overlapping the upper end of the slot 7i, prevents the buttons the Shanks of which are not entered in the slot g3 from clogging the button-entrance to said chute. l

A small detaining-sprin g 71. at the lower end of the button-chute prevents the buttons from escaping therefrom except as they are positively removed by the button-feeder, which feeder is similar to that of myprior machine in that it consists of a horizontally-movable or swinging arm fm, attached to the lower end of a vertical rock-shaft M, having at its upper end an arm m', joined by a rod m2 to the lower or free end of a lever 'm3, pivoted at m4 and having between its ends a pin or roller, stud m5, entering the cam-groove e3 of the cylinder E. The spring fm between the collar m7 on said rod and the lever m3 forms a yielding connection between said lever and rod, so that the feeder 'nt can accommodate itself to different sizes of buttons or irregularities in the shapes of buttons of similar size, the said lever in the backward movement of the button-feeder engaging the collar m8, secured to the rod m2.

For convenience in emptying the buttonhopper, as when said hopper is to be supplied with buttons of a different size, I provide the side of said hopper with an opening which extends to the bottom of the hopper, said opening being normally closed by a removable gate g5, which is held in place by the spring g, but which can be removed by sliding the same upward in the dovetailed recess provided for it in the side of the hopper.

The throat-plate I is provided, beneath the presser-foot K, with a raised portion i, so that the shanks of the buttons can be held level during the attaching operation, and in order to do this with large-sized buttons said throatplate is also preferably formed with a groove or slot t" to receive the heads of these large buttons without requiring the .raised part t' to be so high as to be too much elevated above the shuttle or other loop-seizing device constituting a part of the stitch-forming mechanism.

The groove it will be observed, has a level bottom or, in other words, is something more than a mere pocket to receive the head of the button, this level bottom of the groove permitting the button, after it has been attached to the work, to be fed forward with the latter without requiring the head of the button to be raised from the groove or slot.

My machine is preferably provided with an automatic stop-motion mechanism, which I will now describe.

The driving-shaft B is provided at its rear end with the loose pulley 114 and fast pulley h5.

N is a starting and stopping lever having a belt-shifter n for transferring the drivingbelt from the loose pulley to the fast pulley, or vice versa, and having also an arm a to be engaged by a hook on the rear end of a retaining-latch a2, the upper end of said lever being pressed outward or toward said pulleys IOO IIO

by the spring ninterposed between the stand' ard A and said lever. Rigid with the lever N is an arm N', to be connected by a rod n4 with a treadlewhich, when pressed upon by the operator, will remove the belt from the loose to the fast pulley, or will hold the said lever N in position to keep the machine in operation. The inner or forward end of the latch n2 extends within range of a pin e5 on the cam-cylinder E, so that at the proper time in the rotation of said cylinder, when a series of button-attaching stitches have been completed, said pin will trip said latch and' release its rear end from engagement With the arm n of the lever N to permit the machine to be stopped. This tripping mechanism I would normally cause the machine .to be automatically stopped at each rotation of the cam-cylinder E after each button had been attached; but so long as the operator presses down on the treadle the said tripping mechanism will be inoperative and the machine will continue to run to sew on a series of buttons, but when the last button of aseries or of a shoe is being sewed on the operator will remove his foot from the treadle, so thatthe machine will be automatically stopped at the proper time. The lever N is provided with a yoke comprising the brake-arms n and ne, the former to be acted on `by a tappet-b6 on the fast pulley b5 to press the arm n against said fast pulley. A spring-acted latch n? on the arm a5 is intended to catch over the tappet b5 to prevent back motion when the Inachine is suddenly stopped. This stop-motion mechanism just described is not new with me, however,l and is merely illustrated as showing a convenient form of such mechanism which may be employed.

The presser-foot may be raised to release the work by the ordinary lifter la or by a lever O to be connected with a knee-lever or treadle.

-The general operation of this machine is essentially the same as the machine embraced by my prior application referred to, excepting-that in the present machine the button-feeding mechanism is entirely automatic. vThe machine being started, the buttons are transferred at the proper time from the lower end of' the button-chute to sewing position by the button-feeder m. Each button is attached to the work by a series of overseaming-stitches (in the present instance twelve) passing alternately through the eye of the button-shank and the material and through the material outside of said eye, th ese overseamin g or button-securin g stitches in one place or piled on top of each other being due to the horizontal movements ofthe needle-bar and needle while the operation of the feeding mechanismA is suspended. The series of stitches to sew on a button having been completed, the horizontal movements of the needle-bar and needle are suspended and the feed is thrown into operation to advance A the Work to position for the neXt button,

thereby forming a lseries of plain stitches between the button-securing stitches, and these operations are repeated until all the buttons of a button piece or shoe have been sewed on, when the machine will be automatically stopped, as above described.

In the machine herein shown the horizontal movements of the needle-bar and needle to form the button-attaching stitches are in a direction transverse to the Work-supporting arm or cylinder A2 or in the direction of the feed of the Work7 but this is not essential; nor is it essential to the gist of my present invention that the overseaming or buttonattaching stitches should be formed by moving the needle-bar and needle horizontally, as it is obvious that they may be formed by reciprocating the work beneath a needle having no horizontal movements by a properlyconstructed feeding mechanism, these two ways of forming overseaming-stitches being Well-known equivalents of each other in the art of mechanical sewing. I therefore wish it understood that my invention comprises the combination, with an automatic buttonfeeding mechanism,of a mechanism for forming a series of three or more button-attaching stitches for each button, either withor Without an automatic feeding mechanism for advancing the Work-to space the buttons, as also either with or without an automatic stopmotion mechanism which will suspend the operation of the machine when desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with a stitch-forming mechanism comprising automatic means for changing. the relative horizontal positions of the needle and the work for a series of three or more times in succession, to form a series of button-attaching stitches in one place and which pass alternately through the eye of a button-shank and thc work and through the work outside of the said eye, of automatic means for periodically suspending the operation of the device which changes the relative horizontal positions of the needle and work during the time required for making a series of successively-disposed stitches, without stopping the machine, and an automatic button-feeding mechanism for successively presenting the IIO buttons to the said stitch-forming mechanism.

2. In a button-sewing machine, the -combination with a stitch-forming mechanism comprising means for reciprocating the needlebar and needle horizontally a series of three or more times in succession while the Work remains stationary, to form a series of button-attaching stitches in one place and which stitches pass alternately through and outside of the eye of a button-shank, of automatic means for suspending the horizontal movements of the needle during the time required to make a series of successively-disposed stitches, Without stopping the machine, When a predetermined number of button-attaching stitches have been made, and an automatic button-feeding mechanism for successively presenting the buttons to said stitch-forming mechanism.

3. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with a stitch-forming mechanism comprisingautomatic means for changing the relative horizontal positions of the needle and the Work for a series of three or more times in suceession,to form a series of button-attaching stitches in one place and which pass through the eye of the button-shank and the Work and through the Work outside of the said eye, of automatic means for periodicallysuspending the operation of the mechanism Which changes the relative horizontal positions of the needle and Work, an automat-ic button-feeding mechanism for successively presenting the buttons to the said stitch-forming mechanism, and a mechanism for automatically stopping the machine when a desired num berof stitches has been formed.

4. In a button-sewing machine, the combination With a stitch-forming mechanism comprising means 'for reciprocating the needlebar and needle horizontally a series of three or more times in succession While the Work remains stationary, to form a series of button-attaching stitches in one place and which pass alternately through and outside of the eye of a button-shank, of automatic means for suspending the horizontal movements of the needle, during the time required to make a series of successively-disposed stitches, and Without stopping the machine, When a predetermined number of button-attaching stitches have thus been formed, an automatic buttonfeediug mechanism for successively presenting the buttons to said stitch-forming mechanism, and an automatic Work-feeding mechanism for advancing the work to space the buttons.

5. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with automatic button -feeding devices, of astitch-forming mechanism comprising a horizontally-movable needle-bar and needle, and an automatic work-feeding mechanism, independent of said needle-bar and needle, for advancing the Work to space the buttons, of an automatic mechanism acting to suspend the work-advancing action of the feed and the horizontal movements of the needle, alternately, and Without stopping the machine and during the time required for making a series of button-attaching stitches and a series of plain or suecessively-disposed stitches, respectively, whereby overseaming or button-.attaching stitches Will be formed When the Work is at rest and plain or successively-disposed stitches Will be formed between the buttons.

6. In a button-sewin g machine, the combination with a stitch-forming mechanism comprisin g a needle and means for imparting vertical and horizontal movements thereto, of an independent automatic work-feeding mechanism, automatic devices for presenting buttons to the said needle, a needle-bar-eontrolling cam by which lateral movements are imparted to the needle periodically and which also serves to suspend the said horizontal movements during the time required to make a series of successively-disposed stitches, and a feed-controlling cam to throw the feed into and outA ot' operation, said cams being so timed relative to each other that when the horizontal movements of the needle are suspended the Work-feeding mechanism is operative, and When the said Work-feeding mechanism is inoperative, horizontal movements will be imparted to the said needle.

7. In a button-sewing machine, a throatplate provided with a raisedportion, to sustain the shank of a button in a level position, and with a level groove or slot adjacent to said raised portion, in combination with stitchforming, Work-feeding and button-feeding mechanism.

S. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming appliances, of a button-hopper having interiorly at its bottom rotating brushes, one or more litters, at the bottom of said hopper, for raising said brushes so that they may be caused to bear on the buttons to be fed fro n1 said hopper, and means for conducting the buttons to said stitch-forniing appliances.

9. The combination with the button-hopper G, having the slot g3 in its bottom of proper size to admit the shanks of the buttons While excluding their heads, of thebutton-chute II having the button-shank slot h connecting With the said button-shank slot (3, and the guard p extending into the bottom of said hopperand arranged to overlap the upper end of the said slot 7L of the button-chute,`

said guard serving to prevent the buttons whose shanks are not entered in said slotig3 from clogging the button-entrance to the said chute.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOIIN J. SULLIVAN.

Titnesses EDITH L. COPELAND, W. Jos. BARRY.

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